Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-09-03

%~@e>- "ecaa1 W pNtttSs uHn lA1 kptb lltllu
way CHANGED TO look behind me, and saw
yhc redoubtable Alphonse staggering along
with white face and trembling knees, and his
rifle, which was at full cock, pointed directly
at the small Of my back. Having halted, and
carefully put the rife at safety, p we started
tAgain, and all went well till we were within
100 yards or so Of the kraal, when his teeth
began to chatter In the most aggressive way.
IF you don't stop that, I viii kill you,n
whispered, savagely; for the idea Of having
all our lives sacrificed to tooth chattering
,Spok was too much for me. began to fear
ethat he would betray u.s. and heartily wished
we had left him behind.
"But, monsieur, cannot help it,n he an
9wered; "itil be cold"
Here vas Wlemma but fortunately de-
vised plan. In the pocket OF tho coat had
on was small piece Of dirty rag that had
used some time before to clean O gun with
"Put this in your mouth Whispered again,
giving him tho rag; Hand IL hear another
&und you are dead man." knew that that
would stiae the clatter of his teeth. / must
have looked as ii meant what said, for he
instantly obeyed me and continued his Jour
ney In silence.
Then we crept on again.
AT last we were within fifty yards of the
kraal Between us and it was an open space
Of sloping grass, with only one mimosa
bush and couple of tussocks of sort OF
thistle for cover. We were still hidden in
fairly thick bush. It was beginning to grow
light. The stars had paled and sickly gieam
played about the east and was reflected on
the earth. We could see the outline Of ths
kraal clearly enough, and could also make
out the faint glimmer OF the dying embers Of
the Nasal camp fires. We halted and watched
for the sentry we knew was posted at the
opening. Presently he appeared fine tall
fellow, walking idly up and down within five
PAGES Of the thorn stopped entrance We had
hoped to catch him mapping, but it was not to
be. He seemed particularly wide awake If
kve could not kill that man, and kill him ST
lentlN.,ve were lost. There we crouched and
watclBd him. Presently Umslopogaas, who
was few PAGES ahead of me, turned and
made sign, and next second saw him go
down Oh Ii. stomach like a snake and taking
san oppoifMty when the sentry's head was
turned, begin to work his way through the
grass without a sound.
The unconscious sentry commenced to hum
little tune, and Umslopogaas crept on, He
reached the shelter OF the mimosa bush UNI
perceived, and there waited. Still the sentry
walked up and down, Presently he turned
and looked over the wall into the camp. In
stantly the human snake who was stalking
him glided on ten yards and got behind one
of the tussocks of the thistle like plant, reach
ing it as the Elmoran turned again As he
turned his eye fell upon this patch Of thistles,
land it seemed to strike nim that it did not
look quite right. He advanced pace to-
wards it-halted yawned, stopped down,
iclva al IL "a ia
hit Umslopogaas upon the head, luckily not
upon the armor shirt. Had it done so this
Aclink would have betrayed as. Luckily, too,
- the shirt was Drowned and not bright STEEL,
which would certainly have been detected.
Apparently satisfied that there was nothing
wrong, he then gave over his Investigations
and contented himself with leaning on his
pear and standing gazing idly at the tuft.
For at least three minutes did he stand thus.
plunged apparently 10 gentle reverie, and
there we lay in the last extremity OF anxiety,
expecting every moment that we should be
discovered or that some untoward accident
would happen. could hear Aphonse's teeth
gtTng like anything on the oiled rag, and
turning my head round made an awful face
at him. But l am bound to state that my
Own heart was at much the same game as the
Frenchman's castanets, while the perspiration
was pouring from my body causing the
wash leather lined shirt to stick to me un
pleasantly, and altogether was in the pitt
able state known by schoolboys as "blue
funk"
At last the ordeal eime to an end. The
sentry glanced at the east and appeared t.
note with satisfaction that his period of duty
was coming to an end-as indeed it was, ono,
- and for all-for he rubbed his hands ant
began to walk again briskly, to warm him
self.
The moment his back was turned the Ions
Olack snake glided on again and reached th'
other thistle tuft, which was within couple
=. CT PAGES of his return beat.
Back came the sentry, and strolled RICH
past tho tuft, utterly unconscious of the pres
ence that was crouching behind it. Had h
looked down he could scarcely have failed t.
see, but he did not do SO,
He passed, and then his hidden enem,
erected himself and with outstretched hant
followed in his tracks.
A moment more, and, just as the Elmoral
was about to turn, the great Zulu made
spring, and in tho growing light we could Sc
4 his long, lean han2s close round the Nasal
throat Then followed convulsive twinin
of the two dark bodies, and in another SEE
heard a sharp crack, something like that of
dry twig swapping, and he fell down upo
:, the ground, his limbs moving spasmodically
Umslopogaas had put out all his ire
strength and broken the warriors neck.
For moment he knelt upon his victim
still gripping his throat till he was sure tht
there was nothing more to fear from hin
and then he rose and beckoned to us to az
vance, which we did on all fours; like 90
ony of huge apes On reaching the kraal W
saw that the Nasal had still further choke
this entrance, which was about ten feet wit
no doubt in order to guard against attack
by dragging four or five tops of mimosa tire
up to it. So much the better for US, / I
tlected the moro obstruction there was Il
slower would they be able to come throug
Here we separated, Mackenzie anu his par
AZ creeping up under the shadow of the wall
the left, while Sir Henry and Umslopoga
took their stations one on each side of t
thorn fence, the two spearmen and the Asks
lying down in front of it, and my m
A. -. - l. ,~Pt Iol 81 II